Staging



April 1, 1941. c. HILL l 2,236,774

STGING Filed April 1, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l A INVENTOR.

12,73% Mcom April l1, 1941. yH 2,236,774

STAGING Filed April 1, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY @M6/e3. @ma

April 1, 1941. c. HILL 2.236.774

STAGING Filed April 1, 1940 s sheets-sheet s BY m @2V/TOR' ma @,m

Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STAGING Carmi Hill, Ludlow, Mass. Application April 1, 1940seria1No. 327,179

2 Claims. (o1. 304-2) v My invention relates to improvements ina staging rwhich may be used for various construction purposes, and the principal object thereof is directed to the provision of a unique and novel means for riggings whereby access to levels above the ground may be gained for purposes of building, repairing, and the like.

Stagings heretofore known all have had the common objection that in order to operate them, many men and much time are required sov that the proper adjustments can be made. This has usually added increasingly to the cost in working upon a particular project, and therefore, I have devised a novel means whereby such diniculties and objections are overcome. I accomplish this by the provision of a simplified device which obviates the need for more than one man being in attendance when the staging is set up or is taken down and which contains a greatly reduced number of parts, all of which are light in their weight, so that one man can carry the same from location to location.

Other prime objects of my invention include first, to simplify the construction of a sta-ging;A

economically and with fewer operations in the l manufacture of its parts, as well as inthe assembly thereof, thanprior devices known in the art.

These objects are attained rs't, `by forming the device of a plurality of units, each of which can be separately assembled or disassembled and can be easily attached' to `or detached from any other unit, and second, by various other features which will hereinafter bemore fully set forth.

It is a still further object to provide adevice which is adapted to be` readily assembled or adjusted and which, once assembled or adjusted, is positively and securely retained in its operative relation and the parts-of which cannot be readily separated from each other, either accidentally or otherwise. l

- With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds'the invention consists in certain novel features of. construction and in the 'combination and arrangement of parts as will be, hereinafter more particularly 'pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more I fully described and referred to in connection with.

. the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of tlie'device of my invention; f

Fig. 2 is afront elevational view of a second section ofthe device of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of thedevice of' .my invention shown in position against a made with `the` means shown vin Fig. 6; Fig. 8 isa partial perspective view of a splicing means whereby separate stagings maybe secured to each other; f

' Fig. 9.4 is a partialfrontelevational view of the adjusting leg means whereby the length of the standards of the device may be increased or decreased according to the particular ,contour of the terrain upon which my device is being used; n Fig. 10 is a partial side elevational View of what is disclosed in Fig. 9;

Fig. 1ll is a partial side `elevational featurel shown in Figs. 9 and 10; and i Fig. 12 is aside elevational view-of a modified form of ,an adjusting means which is shownin.

' Figs. 9, l0, and 11.

Referring now. to the drawingsl more in detail;

wherein similar reference figures refer to like parts, and referring'more particularly to the preferred form of my invention which'has been selected for illustrative purposesI have shown a set of standards or uprights I0 which are preferablymade of wood but may be of metal orother suitable rigid material. These standards are usually between five and twenty feet in height dependingf upon the particular requirements of the work with which they are to be used. It will beobvious that a relatively smaller stagingis required forsmall houses and bungalows than :A for larger houses andrbuildings, and it will be apl* view of `the device of my invention showing the adjustable leg parent that the construction of this invention is such that different and various sizes of staglngs may be produced for economical and other reasons.

I prefer to describe the staging of my invention as consisting of sets of uprights, each set including a pair of standards held apart in spaced relation, as by transverse members l2. The standards l and transverse members I2 may be fastened to each other in any suitable manner as by bolts `l 4er the like.

Preferably there are one or more safety pieces 2U extending between and connecting the outermost standards of different sets substantially as is shown in Fig. l. These safety pieces are preferably removably secured to the standards I0 by bolts 22. If desired the opposite end portions of the members may be slotted at 24 for receiving the bolts 22 and this, of course, permits adjustment to fit various conditions.

A supporting brace .30 is provided to extend diagonally across the width of the staging unit as provided by the different sets, and its opposite end portions are slotted at 34 and are disposed adjacent the outermost standards Hl or H0 to be described. Bolts 32 extend outwardly from the standards and through the slots 34 so as to secure the supporting brace to the standards.

If desired there may be washer-like members 38 having plate-like parts resting against the front face of the supporting brace and side flanges embracing the side faces thereof. The plate-like parts are also provided with elongated slots and the bolts 32 extend therethrough.

In Fig. 2, I have shown another smaller unit having standards H0, cross members H2, and a. safety piece |20, similar respectively to the members Ill, l2 and 30 just described. This unit is adapted to be placed upon the top of the staging unit which is shown in Fig. 1, in a manner hereinafter to be more fully described, all to the end that the heights to which the staging can reach is thereby considerably extended, and in this event the upper end of member 3D is adapted to engage one of the uprights I l0 as is shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a series of horizontal platforms consisting of one or more boards or planks 40 and these platforms extend across and between and rest upon the upper sides of the cross pieces l2 or H2 which are disposed between the pairs of standards I0 or H0 respectively.

It is possible to place one or more sections or units of the device such as is shown in Fig. 2 upon that section which is shown in Fig. 1 by placing the feet of the standards H0 upon the respective tops `of the standards IIJ and then these may be secured to each other by some locking means such as is shown in Fig. 8. A splicing plate may be provided to extend adjacent two or more sides of the abutting standards l0 and HU and it is adapted to be secured to each of said standards by bolts 52 or the like whereby the two standards are securely tied together.

Not only is it possible to place one section upon another, but also it is possible to place several sections upon each other as shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, it is possible to place secured sections side by side, also as shown in Fig. 6, merely by spacing additional pairs of standards and connecting the saline by means of the aforementioned safety pieces, supporting members and platforms.

In Fig. 6, I have shown the end portion of one of the supporting members 30 of my invention Cil which is secured to the standard IU by means of a fiat-sided bolt 32 which extends through a longitudinally slotted portion 34 in the supporting member. A washer means 36 overlies the supporting member 30 and is disposed between the member 3D and the bolt 32.

After the bolt 32 has been inserted through the slot 34 of the supporting member 30 so as to secure the supporting member to the upright ID, the supported member may be adjusted relative to the standard whereby the length of the supported member between the standards may be substantially increased or decreased, al1 as may be desired. The bolt 32 is such that the supporting member 30 may be secured to the standard I0 i at any desired point.

By sliding the member 3!) transversely of the upright l0, it is possible to regulate the distance between the pairs of uprights so as to make the assembled staging most suitable for the particular duty at hand.

A similar adjusting means is provided at the ends of the safety pieces 20 which have slotted portions 24 whereby the safety pieces are slidable relative to the standard IB and are heldin securement upon the tightening of the bolt 22. A washer means 26 overlies the safety piece or pieces (as shown in Fig. 8) and serves as a washer means between the safety piece 20 and the bolt 22.

The standard l0 is also adjustable for its height by a means which is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The standard l0 has an adjustable legr 60 adjacent one side thereof and secured thereto by a bolt or bolts G2 which extend through the standard and through the slot or slots 64 in the leg 60. The leg E0 is slidable vertically relative to the standard and nuts 66 are adapted to tighten and to hold the standard and the leg into the desired position.

Thus in a case where the ground slopes so as to make it impossible to place the standards upon a level and even ground, the adjustable leg feature may be called into play as is shown in Fig. 1l.

As a modication of the adjusting means just described a steel means 'l0 may be substituted for the leg 6D. This means has a vertically extending slot or slots 'l2 from which a plurality of inclined slots 'I4 extend at one side thereof substantially as shown. These slots may, if desired, be tapered downwardly at their closed ends so that when weight is placed upon the standard l0, the bolts 16 which secure the adjusting means 10 to the standard are faced downwardly in the slots 14.

Among other features of my invention, I provide a hook means 45 which may be attached to the building as shown in Fig. 3 so as to sccure the staging to the building.

Furthermore, certain of my transverse meinbers l2 and ll2 are elongated so that they extend outwardly beyond the uprights IB and H0 which support them whereby they may abut the building substantially as shown in Fig. 3, all to the end that the staging is maintained in a position at a distance away from the building.

As a still further feature of my invention, bolt openings are provided in spaced positions throughout the entire length of the uprights so that the supporting members may be arranged at various angles so as to vary the degree cf strength and support which the supporting member gives to the staging.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without depart-- ing from the essential characteristics' thereof. The present embodiments are therefore t0 be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl is:

1. In an adjustable staging of the class described the combination of, a. primary standard including a pair of spaced-apart forward upf rights and a pair of spaced-apart rear uprights rearwardly of and in alignment with said forward uprights, transverse connecting members extending between and secured to the aligned uprights to hold the same in fixed relation, a bracing member extending diagonally of and between sai-d forward uprights and provided with slots in its opposite end portions, U-shaped plate members embracing said end portions of the bracing member and provided with slots coinciding with said slots therein. and substantially horizontal securing members extending outwardly from said Auprights, plate and bracing members relative to the uprights, an auxiliary standard including Ispaced and connected forward and rear uprights removably disposed on top of said primary standard, and means removably securing the uprights of said auxiliary standard to those of said primary standard.

2. The combination in an adjustable staging of the class described of, a standard including one pair of spaced-apart uprights and a second 'pair of spaced-apart uprights disposed rearwardly of and in alignment With said one pair of uprights, transverse connecting members extending between and secured to at least Onepair of uprights to hold the same in xed relation and -fa bracing member extending diagonally between at least one pair of said uprights with its oppoi site end portions adjustably secured thereto, an

adjustable leg member associated with the lower 'vend portion of one of said uprights, said leg member being provided with an elongated vertical slot and a plurality of spaced inclined slots leading inwardly from said vertical slot, and an` 

